Recommendations

Eco-compatibility and safety

Sustainable Development: this is development that enables today’s generation to meet its needs without jeopardising compromising future generations' capacity to do the same. Scavolini adopts the best technology available when producing its kitchens, to constantly improve safety and to reduce the environmental impact of the processes and materials used. You, too, in your own home, can do a great deal to limit environmental impact and prevent risks for yourselves and your children.

Energy saving

Where possible, position the refrigerator in the coolest place in the kitchen, away from the hob, radiator and window; leave a gap of at least 10 cm above and below the appliance to allow effective ventilation;

Set the refrigerator thermostat according to room temperature, avoiding over-cooling (excessively low temperatures are pointless in terms of food preservation but increase energy consumption by 10-15%);

Do not open the refrigerator or freezer too often and always check that they are shut properly after use. When the door is open the motor is running all the time and this not only increases the amount of energy consumed but can also lead to overheating of the food and the production of excess frost;

Eliminate any frost that forms inside the freezer: a freezer with a great deal of frost consumes more energy;

Do not overfill the freezer or refrigerator: overloading might cause increased energy consumption and unsatisfactory cooling;

Position food within the refrigerator according to preservation requirements, remembering that generally speaking the lower part of the refrigerator is the coolest;

Do not place hot products in the freezer or refrigerator: products that are too hot cause greater energy consumption and can lead to deterioration of the other products inside.

Some examplesIf every Italian household replaced just one traditional 100 W light bulb with a 20 W low energy bulb, 1.92 billion KWh of energy would be saved every year and atmospheric CO2 emissions would be reduced by 960,000 tons over the same period. The annual electricity consumption of three people living together corresponds to 1.7 tons of CO2 released into the atmosphere; to balance this figure it would be necessary to plant 3 trees. The consumption of one KWh, which corresponds to roughly half an hour’s operation of a water heater or electric room heater, requires the combustion of approximately 250 g of fuel oil and releases 750 g of CO2 into the atmosphere. A family of 4 consumes approximately 7 KWh per day, burning 2 kg of oil and releasing almost 2,800 litres of CO2 (source: ENEA).

Do not place hot products in the freezer or refrigerator: products that are too hot cause higher energy consumption and can cause deterioration of the other products inside;

When boiling water, put a lid on the pan: you will save both time and energy;

For foods requiring lengthy cooking, it is best to use a pressure cooker: it significantly reduces cooking time and thus saves energy;

Check that the hob is regulated correctly: a yellow flame indicates excessive gas consumption (you will note that pans become sooty). In addition, a flame that detaches from the burner cap is a symptom of too much air. N.B. Burners must always be regulated by a skilled technician;

Turn on the oven only when necessary, without overdoing preheating and do not open the oven unnecessarily: remember that the ovens are energy gluttons; preheat it only for the amount of time strictly needed;

To heat up foods, it is best to use a microwave rather than a traditional oven: since it does not need to be preheated, you save energy;

Use the modern energy saving light bulbs (fluorescent or LED), particularly in those areas where you spend a great deal of time: the initial investment is slightly higher but, besides being good for the environment, in the long run they are cheaper;

Avoid using lights with a lot of bulbs in the kitchen. A 100 W bulb provides the same level of light as six 25 W bulbs, and consumes 50% less energy (ENEA);

Turn off unnecessary lights: it is important to get into the habit of turning off lights;

Turn off the television (or similar appliances) using the master switch and not just the remote control: these appliances continue to consume power in standby mode;

Use the extractor hood properly, regulating the speed according to real needs: if using the hob with just a few pans — or pans which do not release much steam — set the hood low or, if possible, open the windows slightly for air turnover;

Use the heating or air conditioning system only when necessary and adjust the thermostats appropriately; when they are in use, try to keep the windows closed properly, to avoid draughts; use fixtures that ensure good insulation (low heat conductivity or double-glazed windows);

Use the air heating and cooling system only if necessary and set the thermostats appropriately;

Clean the flue gas exhaust ducting at least every 5 years;

Do not cover radiators with curtains or pieces of furniture;

At home, on winter days, keep the temperature at approximately 20°C, the average temperature of a sunny day in spring. Remember that for every degree by which the temperature is lowered, you will save approximately 7% on heating costs (source: ENEA);

If you do not spend much time in the house, install a thermostat with a timer to turn on the heating just a few hours before your return;

Remember: for your health, it is important to eat in warm surroundings, but you can sleep in a cool bedroom. Insulate your roof and house walls; install double-glazed windows;

Do not turn on the hot water tap when not necessary: even if the hot water does not reach the tap, the boiler will be forced to cut in unnecessarily;

Set the temperature of the hot water used in sinks to 35-40ºC;

Choose the right washing machine programme, preferring programmes that do not operate at high temperatures (40° - 60°);

Arrange dishes correctly in the dishwasher, ensuring that the worst of the dirt has been removed to prevent fouling of the filter, which will reduce washing efficiency;

Use quick, cold washes when there are only a few dishes to be washed; after this cycle the load can be completed at the end of the day, without causing unpleasant odours or dried-on residues whilst awaiting a complete wash;

Use an “economy” wash for dishes that are not very dirty; this is a lower temperature washing cycle that does not always have a drying stage, meaning that is uses less energy;

Water consumption

Do not leave the tap on longer than necessary. A simple rule, and the most effective way of saving water;

Check that taps are turned off tightly: do not allow them to drip. Have any steady drips repaired without delay. Replacing seals, which cost very little, avoids wasting tens of thousands of litres of water a year;

Consider drinking tap water (if drinkable) instead of bottled water. This will avoid waste (i.e. plastic bottles) and will help to reduce transport-related pollution;

Use taps with a flow restrictor (which must be replaced regularly) and water consumption will fall drastically;

Descale the tap filter regularly so that it is able to effectively mix the flow of water with a flow of air, giving the same effect but with lower water consumption;

Only use the dishwasher and washing machine when fully loaded to reduce unnecessary water and energy consumption;

Never exceed the amounts of detergent recommended by manufacturers and check that the type of detergent is suitable for the water hardness, another way of reducing water consumption;

Reuse unsalted cooking water (e.g. after boiling vegetables) once it cools, for watering plants;

When purchasing a washing machine or dishwasher, opt for one with a low water consumption rating (class A): the initial investment is higher than for the purchase of a unit with a lower energy rating but you will save both money and energy in the future;

Recover rainwater to water plants or for other uses (not drinking), such as washing the car;

Only use your washing machine when full or alternatively use the “half-load or economy” button; however, in this case remember that “half load” does not mean “half consumption”, the energy and water consumed to wash just a few items is less, but the difference is not as great as people think;

Choose WCs with two different flush options in order to use only the water strictly necessary.

Waste management

Do not produce more waste than necessary;

As far as possible, separate waste for recycling or recovery;

Select products that come in recycled or easily recyclable packaging, such as packaging made from just one material;

Remember to re-use shopping bags, especially plastic ones, to avoid having to buy a new one every time;

When possible, crush bulky waste (bottles, cans, boxes);

If you have a garden or large balcony with flowers, organic and/or plant waste can be used to make compost.

Cleaning the kitchen

Do not overdo the use of detergents: a slightly damp microfibre cloth is enough to clean surfaces that are not particularly dirty;

Use the most environment-friendly detergents (such as those with the ECOLABEL certifying that the product’s life cycle has lower environmental impact) and those in packaging which also has less impact on the environment;

It is better to use a dishwasher (at full load) thank to wash by hand: modern dishwashers require much less water and detergent than hand washing.

Safety in the kitchen

Be very careful when performing the most dangerous activities in the kitchen (e.g. cutting with sharp knives, replacing light bulbs, etc.);

Have gas connections made only by skilled technicians and only using approved piping;

Always turn off the main gas tap when the cooker is not being used;

Purchase only hobs with safety valve;

Never leave knives lying around (and in particular, keep them out of the reach of small children);

Keep detergents and other hazardous products out of reach of children (Scavolini has a line of special accessories for this purpose);

Do not use electrical appliances near the sink or wet areas;

Comply carefully with the safety instructions for electrical appliances;

Do not overload cabinets (see guidance in the user's manual).

Disposing of the kitchen

When the time comes to replace your kitchen, to reduce environmental impact to a minimum, first of all consider reusing all or some of it (e.g. in a vacation home or garage, donating it to a charitable institution or selling it at a flea market);

If it has to be disposed of, contact the authorized waste disposal centre in your city and, if possible, try to separate the components that can be recycled (wood, glass, aluminium, steel, etc.) to allow this and allow a new product to be created without the use of primary resources;

Special care must be taken over waste electrical and electronic appliances (WEEEE) such as electrical kitchen appliances that could contain materials which are harmful for the environment unless disposed of properly. For these materials, contact your local disposal centres;

Always comply with the specific legislation in force in your country.

If in doubt, contact the organisations in charge of waste disposal and/or recycling in your city.